Collection

Photo: franhermenegildo/iStock/Thinkstock

3 of 4
But I'm a Collector!
Real collectors focus on, say, vintage lustreware, know the value of the items they have, and are always on the hunt for new pieces. What they don't do is stash them in a trash bag under the bed. "A true collection," says Gail Steketee, PhD, dean of the Boston University School of Social Work and an expert on hoarding, "is one that is kept in some sort of logical order and that you can show off." If you love your things, don't you want to see them? If you don't, toss 'em.